The Role of Holy Imams in Revival of Religion

Section 2

The Holy Prophet of Islam Mohammad (s.a.w) said:

"There will arrive a time for my nation when of the Quran only its lore, meaning its writing or written word, and of Islam only its name will remain. The people will be called Muslims by this name, but they will be the furthest from Islam". 28

That which we wish to bring under discussion and assessment - as far as God bestows upon us success is this sentence from the Prophets tradition:

"Of Islam only its name will remain".

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w) made a strange predictions. When we read this forecast certain questions come to mind.

  1. What was Islam like during the Prophets time?

  2. What happened to his Islam afterwards? In other words how did they empty it of its original content? What form aid they change it to and how did they change its realities to reticence?

  3. How did the Holy Imams (a.s) return to the people the true Islam we now possess, in the same form that existed during the Prophets (s.a.w) time?

By finding and understanding the answers to these questions we will discover what our responsibility is towards Islam in the present day and age. The above questions are summarized in the following sentence.

«What was Islam? What happened to it and what must be done now?»

In our previous discussion it was said that we understand from studying Quranic verses that The Lord is a nurturer that promotes and sustains the development of the being subject to his tutelage until it reaches complete perfection or maturity. Providing the necessities of the creature being nurtured is a requisite of lordship and nurturing. We also learned that the Prophets conflicts with their nations and the evil persons of their time were over who possessed lordship or sovereignty. According to the Holy Quran most of them had no dispute over God being Creator.

We read in the Holy Quran:

"If you should ask them; who created the Heavens and the Earth? They would certainly answer: Allah!" 29

Consequently the conflicts and arguments with the pagans were not for the most part over the matter of creation but rather mainly over sovereignty. This is the main center of the prophets wars with the evil persons and nations buried in ignorance. Victory in this battle is what makes the prophets successful in the establishment of religion.

We said that the lord is obliged to legislate for the life of the beings under his tutelage. This is in principle the most prominent characteristic of lordship. Allah creates and then decrees how his creatures should live. He gives them the laws for living and specifies the manner of their life, also equipping them with the means for reaching maturity guiding them in this direction.

The prophets stood by this very basic, fundamental characteristic saying: O Mankind! Your lord and Nurturer is the Lord of the Heavens and Earth. He has made laws for all living creatures. He has given order to the lives of the heavens and earth and the creatures therein, and he also created laws for you, ascertaining your way of life.

We said previously that every creatures way of life was ascertained according to its own structure and nature. In the case of one of them the Quran speaks of subjugation. The Quran sees inanimate objects obliged and subjugated in the powerful chain of the law of creation. They follow the way to their perfection in this way never straying from it in the least because straying from the way that creation has ascertained for them is equal to their destruction:

"Lo! your lord is Allah who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then mounted He the throne. He covereth the night with the day, which is in haste to follow it, and hath made the sun and the moon and the stars subservient by His command. His verily is all creation and commandment. Blessed be Allah" the Lord of the Worlds!" 30

This verse begins with the words "your Lord" and after giving examples of his lordship such as the earths rotation and the appearance of day and night, he is praised with the attribute "Lord of the Worlds"

"He constraineth the sun and moon to give service, each running on for an appointed term....."31 (Holy Quran 35:5)

For another group of creatures Divine guidance is in the form of inspiration. Animals live under the influence of Gods inspirational guidance and as thus follow the way towards their maturity, reaching its absolute bounds. The precise, subtle and sometimes extremely complicated way of animal life is all led by the inspiration of their "Lord". From the first moment of life until the final degree of maturity, and from then until death animal life continues under the radiation of this form of guidance.

In the Holy Quran we find an example of animal life as thus:

"And thy lord inspired the bee, saying: Choose thou habitations in the hills and in the trees and in that which they thatch. Then eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of they Lord, made smooth (for thee)".32

However in the case of man, the most superior creature in these three groups, guidance is by revelation. Divine organization goes to work and from its fountain-head revelations are revealed to the prophets by esteemed Angels and their like. Mans way of life is therefore ascertained, giving order to all aspects of his life guiding him towards the way for achieving happiness in the two worlds.

This order or system and set of laws in Quranic Culture is called "Islam", it is a religion for mankind based on his nature and the realm of his existence, collating exactly with human disposition, coming from his "Lord". This is not just the proper name for the religion and special Divine law of The Last Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w). That which all of the prophets proclaimed; Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, all had the name of "Islam" This is to the point where the Quran informs us that no name appeared for it before Noah (a.s), but from his time onward the name for all of Gods Divine Laws is "Islam".

We discussed this before and we saw that according to Quranic logic

"Lo! religion with Allah (is) al-Islam (The Surrender to his will and guidance) Those who (formerly) received the scripture differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves". 33

Hence, a description of Islam may be summed up in this form: «The set of laws that The Lord of Mankind has expounded for him in proportion to his make-up and corresponding to human nature».

From here on our discussion will be about Islam in order to see what this Islam was (meaning mans way of life and thought, beliefs and morality), and what form it took after the Prophets death. We will also see how it was emptied of its original content and what should be done now.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w) had announced «nothing will remain of Islam but its name». What was this "Islam" and how did it become so empty and hollow that only its name remains? With an accurate analysis of Islam we will discover it has four types of existence. In other words, Islam in human society, four types of substances:

A) Nominal Existence B) Conceptional Existence C) Practical Existence D) Islamic Society Existence

A) Nominal Existence:

In the collection of personal and social religious commandments and Islamic ethics and beliefs, we run across a series of terms that have been shaped by God just as all of the other aspects of this religious creeds. We have also seen that the last Prophet (s.a.w) had announced that there would come a time when nothing but these terms would remain which make up Islam's existence in name. The last Prophet (s.a.w) upon his appointment proclaims the commandments for "Salaat" (Prayer), "Wudhu" (Ablution), and Jehad (Holy War).......etc. In Arabic the word Salaat literally means praise, "Wudhu" means cleanliness, and "Jehad" is taken from a sentence meaning ability and fortitude.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w) recruited these words and organized and appointed them according to revelation to a series of actions and behaviour. Thus these words are introduced to the communities in a terminological style, which possess special meanings in Islam, taking on an Islamic hue and becoming terms peculiar only to Islam, Lastly, along with all of the other terms they make up Islams existence in name.

B) Conceptual Existence

The true meanings of Islam in all of its aspects, in other words, the foundations for religious practice, ethics and belief form the existence in meaning of Islamic terms. When prophets are appointed they proclaim these two things together, and they deliver both the term and its meaning as their divine message. We also know that the first and foremost duty of all Prophets throughout history is the proclamation of Gods message.

«Are the messengers charged with aught save plain conveyance (of the message)?»34 «.....then know that the duty of Our messenger is only plain conveyance (of the message)»35 «then, if they turn away, thy duty (O Mohammad) is but plain conveyance (of the message)» 36

In one analysis and assimilation we can say that the Prophets had two distictive superior characteristics in comman: Firstly they are Muslims, and they are the very first Muslim of their nation, just as the Quran states with regard to Mohammad (s.a.w).37 Secondly they are a messenger from God. According to both of these characteristics they possessed certain responsibilities. In relation to their first characteristic, that of being a Muslim, they must pray, fast, encourage the people to be free from impurity, keep them from corruption and vice and go to Holy War (Jehad) and Hajj. In short all of the responsibilities of one Muslim must be done by them at the best level. Yet in relation to their second characteristic, that of a messenger, they are only charged with the proclamation of that message and nothing more.

These men, being the Prophets of God, must relay Gods message to the people while in the way of this cause fearing nothing, standing firm until death, suffer stonings, give into exile and emigration but continuing to notify his nation of Gods word which is summed up in Islamic terminology and their correct meanings.

The prophets proclaim Gods message throughout history. They present to the community both the name and meaning of Islam. Even so, this is only the beginning of their task, and not the entirety. For example, after the people of a nation become familiar with the terms "prayer", "ablution" and "Holy War" (Jehad) along with their Islamic meanings the prophets begin a new endeavor. They strive towards bringing this way of thought, message, and knowledge to the active stage. In other words creating a people who will "dress" Islamic teachings with the clothing of practice.

By way of the prophets endeavors the people who lived during the age of proclamation came to know the existences in name and meaning of Gods religion, along with each of its practices, beliefs and behaviours, understanding them well. They became familiar with the special terms in Islam and also their hidden meanings. All of the Abudhar, Abu lahabs, Omars and Abu Jahls, all of the prophets contemporaries, believers and non believers, understood all of the Islamic terms and their meanings. After this comes the time for Islams existence in practice and the prophets strived to apply practically and actual existence. Praying persons should come to exist and all other Islamic practical laws and ethics should be applied.

C) Islamic Personality Existence

It is here that Islams third form of existence or its existence in practice appears and Islamic personality is born. "Islamic Identity" may be observed in that person who performs his "ablutions", prays, fasts, goes to Holy War (Jehad) and pilgrimage "Hajj" and is bound by Islamic morality. All of the Prophets endeavors in Mecca after the proclamation were in the way of building Islamic identities. In this period he brought such personalities as Ali (a.s), Khadija, Abudhar, Ammar, Somayeh, Yaser, Khabbab, Bilal and etc. During the Prophets last year of residence in Mecca these three stages of Islamic subsistence were transferred to Medina and took root there in the Prophets absence.

The subject is itself clear that it is impossible that the third stage of existence of Islam i.e. practical presence or Islamic personality exists in a place which nominal and conceptional existence does not exist. Until the Prophet (s.a.w) has not explained Islamic terminology and proclaimed their correct meanings, the third stage which applied Islam or Islamic personality cannot come into existence, because the first two stages proceed the third.

D) Existence of Islamic Society

Now that the third "essence of existence" or Islamic identity was formed in society and came to be, the Prophet (s.a.w) began to establish the fourth stage of Islamic existence called Islamic society. This was at a time when Islamic individuals came and swore allegiance to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) in order to set up an Islamic community, a community where Islamic social practical laws would be constituated. Thus Islam broke through the walls of homes entering the economic and political scene and that of war and peace. From here we understand the meaning and function of «Allegiance» in Islam, and realize that allegiance brought about the Islamic community or the highest form of Islamic existence.

Hence, during the lifetime of our Prophet (s.a.w), Islam acquired four types of subsistence. The terminology was announced, their meanings were proclaimed and indoctrinated, individuals were trained to bear the burden of acting according to Islam and eventually the Islamic community was also founded. In the prior historical periods of man, during the lifetimes of all of the prophets (the prophets of mission), these very terms used in the final Divine religion also existed: prayer (salat), compulsory alms (zakat), fasting (soum) and Holy War (jehad) etc. existed as terms along with their meanings. The proceeding prophets propagated these terms and their meanings in every possible way to them. In addition to this, Islamic personality were also trained by them. Of course, the success of the prophets in this third part varied, some having more success, some having less. However, some of them were successful in creating an Islamic society, like Moses, David and Solomon and others were not.

During the Holy Prophets (s.a.w) time, Islam emerged in all of it "essences of existence" and with all of its aspects and phases in society. But after that revered prophet what happened? It might be surprising for you to find out that the Islam subsisting among the majority of Muslims today is nothing but the name of Islam, its real meaning having disappeared. An example of this is seen in relation to prayer. Since prayer has certain conditions, if these conditions do not exist the true reality of prayer ceased to exist. The same is true for every other Islamic commandment such as "fast" and the Holy War (Jehad), if their conditions and particulars don't accompany them they will not be considered as Islamic laws.

We now repeat our question: Islams existence in name, meaning, identity and society came to be during the lifetime of the Last Prophet (s.a.w) and most other prophets, but what happened after the death of these prophets? About the previous prophets it must be said that after their deaths Islam was completely erased from their society being altered, changed and concealed. Of course this didn't happen all in one day or all at one time but over a span of time. In time the Islam that Moses proclaimed completely vanished. The Islam that Jesus son of Mary preached was destroyed after him not even its literal or terminological existences remained.

Because Islam is the name of a religion which God revealed to all of his prophets of mission, the name of Moses's religious law was Islam and has now been changed to Judaism, while the name of Jesus's (a.s) religion has been changed to Christianity. These names did not come from God but were created by nations and came to be at the hands of meddlers. During previous ages alteration was so advanced that not only did Islamic societies such as that founded by Moses cease to exist, but the Islamic identity built by him was also overturned so that even its meaning and terminology were destroyed. Only this group (the Jews) see themselves as his followers but did Moses or Jesus proclaim these practices, beliefs and behaviour which now exist among the Jews and Christians? Were the drinking of liquor, the refraining from circumcision, ideas that Jesus is the son of God and that God is made up of three persons, taught by Jesus (a.s)? As such it may be said that Islamic society, identity, meaning and terminology have all ceased to exist.

Now lets see what form the situation will take with regard to the religion of the Last Prophet (s.a.w). He himself had said: "Only its name will remain". Nay of Islam only its name will remain and of the Quran only its written lines.

We are trying here to understand this remark and penetrate and dig into its environs, We have said that of the Islam previous prophets proclaimed, none of the various stages of its existence remain. However with regard to the Last Prophets (s.a.w) religion, according to his own words, in the ages following him only the name of Islam will remain. Literally, this tragic event pertains to the first period of the Imamat. The role of the Holy Imams (a.s) in the Islamic society was to return to the dead, meaningless, evicted Islam, and bring to life its active and conceptual existences. These great men both returned the true meanings of Islam to the society and then proceeded to nurture Islams identity.